Our programs are the backbone of what we do and include many ways we can work with you. Whether you’re looking to buy a new home for your family, want to start a community garden with your neighbors, or are looking for a great investment opportunity, we’re here to help! Get more details on each of our programs below, and don’t forget to check out our Resources page for additional information and materials. As always, get in touch if there is anything we can do for you!
We publish new properties to our website once a month, on the day after our Board Meetings (Board Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month). You can find all properties currently for sale by clicking here. Curious about our property types? Check out our Learn page for more details!
We list all of our open houses on our Facebook events page and would love you to join us at an open house! If you are working with a licensed realtor or contractor, you can have them contact our office to schedule a viewing at your convenience. We offer real estate agents a 2.4% commission when you purchase a property. Many of our properties may not have utilities turned on, so please dress appropriately and you may want to bring flashlights.
Properties are listed for at least 30 days before applications are due; you can find the application due date at the end of each property listing. You can apply directly from the property listing page on our website; if you need an accommodation such as a printed application, please contact our office and we’ll be happy to help you out!
Applications are usually due on the last Monday of each month (except in the case of holidays, etc.); if a property does not sell after the first round of applications, the due date will be extended to the following month.
Complete applications will include a stated end-use for the property (what you plan to do with the property), a job-cost estimate from a licensed contractor for the redevelopment of the property, and a proof of funds available for both the purchase price and the redevelopment cost (this could be a bank statement or a letter from a lender, for example). There is also a $25 application fee and a $750 down payment due with the applications. Properties are sold as-is and applications are accepted for the listed purchase price only.
If we have only one complete application by the due date, that application will move forward to our Board for approval. If there are multiple complete applications, we will hold an auction in our office for all applicants with complete applications. The application with the highest bid from the auction will then move forward to our Board for approval.
The OMLB Board of Directors accepts or rejects offers to purchase at Board Meetings held on the second Wednesday of each month at 9 am in the Jesse Lowe Conference Room, 3rd Floor, Civic Center, 1819 Farnam Street. Board Meetings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend!
All Land Bank properties are sold with a specified redevelopment timeline; everything listed in your job-cost estimate must be complete within that timeline. Currently, purchasers have 9 months for the renovation of a single family residential property and two years for other types of property; the redevelopment timeline will be specified in your application and purchase agreement. We will regularly check in on redevelopment progress after closing and sign off as soon as the redevelopment is complete. If redevelopment does not happen within the specified timeline, the property reverts back to Land Bank ownership, as-is. If you believe you may need an extension, please contact us as soon as possible.
The Omaha Land Bank uses TitleCore National as our title company. If you are purchasing a property from us, your $750 down payment would need to be in certified funds (cashiers check or money order) made out to TitleCore National. You would also be contacted by TitleCore to set up closing on a property.
We are more than happy to answer your questions any time throughout the application process! Our purchasing process sheet is linked below for your reference.
Need financing or a contractor? Find resources for buyers on our Resources page!
Contact us with any additional questions you have!
Contact Us
Please reach out directly to Mary Wells, our Acquisitions Director, at 402-401-2727 or at maryw@omlb.org. We’ll set up an appointment to view the property, then let you know what we can offer (if applicable). Once a purchase price is negotiated or the donation is accepted, we’ll send you a Purchase Agreement or Donation Form, then send the transaction to our Board for approval. We pay a $250 referral fee to real estate agents who sell us a property. The Omaha Land Bank generally uses TitleCore National as our title company; however, you may choose any title company you prefer to work with.
Have liens on a property you own? We can work with you! We have the ability to cancel some City and County liens in addition to paying you for your property, so you can walk away with a fresh start! Contact Mary at maryw@omlb.org for details.
The OMLB Board of Directors accepts or rejects property acquisitions at Board Meetings held on the second Wednesday of each month at 9 am in the Jesse Lowe Conference Room, 3rd Floor, Civic Center, 1819 Farnam Street. Board Meetings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend!
Some properties we receive are unbuildable because of their size, layout or topography. When we receive an unbuildable property and adjacent property owners aren’t interested in purchasing it, we offer it to community groups or organizations for green space or a community garden. Groups can lease the property for only $25 a year and are simply required to maintain the property during the lease period.
View a sample application on our Resources page, or contact us to learn more!
Every year, Douglas County holds a tax lien sale that allows investors to bid on tax lien certificates for properties with unpaid taxes from the previous year. After three years, if the property owner has not paid the taxes due, the tax lien investor can foreclose on the property and become the new owner.
The Land Bank can take part in this tax lien sale and, due to state legislation, our bid becomes the automatically accepted bid on tax lien certificates we select. We collaborate with our non-profit partners to select properties that fit both their needs and our criteria and invest in these tax lien certificates on their behalf. If we foreclose on the properties at the end of three years, we will either sell or donate the properties to that non-profit partner.
While tax lien certificates can be purchased on any property that has delinquent taxes, we will only invest in properties that meet certain criteria, including properties that are vacant, abandoned and/or distressed.
Contact us to learn more!
The Omaha Land Bank has the ability to hold properties tax-free for up to five years. If your non-profit has acquired a property but aren’t ready to develop it now, you can transfer the property to us. When you’re ready to develop, we’ll deed the property directly back to you. You will be required to maintain the property while it is deposited with us, but your only direct cost is the title transfers.
So, what’s in it for the Land Bank? Not only are we helping non-profits and their donors avoid tax payments on idle properties, the Land Bank will receive, from Douglas County, 50% of the taxes paid on the property for five years after deeding it back to the non-profit. This income stream supports our continued operations and activities.
Contact us to learn more!
Our land assemblies come prepped and ready for development! We do all the background work to acquire, prepare and package multiple parcels for your next project. These properties will be offered through an RFP/Q process as they become available; you can find our open opportunities in the Developer section of our Resources page.
If you’re looking for a specific type of property or set of properties, please email Mary Wells at maryw@omlb.org. If you’d like to be notified of land assemblies as they become available, please email Laura Heilman at laurah@omlb.org.
We have committed to help the City of Omaha demolish 400 of the most unsafe structures in our city, to pave the way for redevelopment. We will be looking to raise $500,000 in donations each year from 2018-2021 to tackle the backlog of structures in need of demolition. Read more about our Vision 400 initiative.
Want to help? Donate directly to our demolition fund, or contact Marty at martyb@omlb.org to inform us about potential partnerships or funding opportunities.
